Toy



April 29, 1924. 1,492,074

C. H. DAYTON TOY Filed March 16. 1923 j 6 I/Vl/f/VTDH 6 /7. lldyion BTW {a atented Apr. 2%, IQZd.

CLEVELAND H. DAYTON, OF NEWMAN, ILLINOIS.

TOY.

Application filed. March 16, 1923. Serial No. 625,563.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLEVELAND H. DAY- TON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Newman, in the county of Douga las and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Tmprgvement in Toys, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in to toys, and more particularly to that type of toy in which a small wheel or blade is caused to rotate in one of two directions at will, and it consists in the combinations, constructions, and arrangements herein dela scribed and claimed.

An object of my invention is to provide a toy of the character described in which a vibratory movement is converted into a rotary movement, and in which the direction as of rotation may be instantly changed at will.

A further object of my invention is to provide a toy of the character described in which the cooperating parts may not be- 25 come accidentally disengaged from one another when the toy is in operation.

A further object of my invention is to provide a toy of the character described, a part of which may be converted to other as use than a toy without in any way altering the operative characteristics of that part when desired.

A further object of my invention is to provide a toy of the character described that is simple in construction, durable, and thoroughly practical for the purpose intended.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, and the novel features of the invention will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part of this application, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of an embodiment of my invention,

Figure 2 is a View along the line 22 of Figure 1, and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view of the mechanism illustrated in Figure 2, but with the grooved rod in another operative position.

In carrying out my invention, I make use of a rod 1 having a handle portion 2 at one end thereof in axial alinement with the rod. The major portion of the rod 1 is provided with a plurality of annular V-shaped grooves 3 concentric with the axis of the rod. This structure provides therefore a series of bead-like formations upon the outer surto face of the rod, and which is clearly illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawing. The rod 1 is provided with a tapered tip 4 at the outermost end thereof.

A wheel supporting member 5, having an at integral handle portion 6 and a constricted tip portion 7 at the opposite end thereof, is provided with a transverse opening 8 through its central portion arranged to permit the projection of the rod 1 therethrough. The opening 8 has its opposite peripheral edges beveled'as indicated in Figures 2 and 3,thereby providing a relatively sharp inner wall. The diameter of this inner wall is slightly larger than the greatest diameter of the grooved portions 3 of the rod 1. The wheel supporting member 5 may be con structed of a thin piece of wood or fiber, or any other relatively light material which may be shaped or formed in the manner described.

A device which I choose to call a wheel, consisting of a flat rectangular plate 9 of a relatively light material, such as cardboard or fiber, is provided with an opening transversely therethrough at a central point. This wheel 9 is rotatably supported upon a metal pin 10 secured in the outermost end wall 11 of the constricted portion 7 of the wheel supporting member. The wheel therefore will rotate in a plane transverse to the plane of the supporting member. It is important that the opening through the plate or wheel 9 be slightly larger than the diameter of the pin 10.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood. The chief purpose of my invention is to provide an amusing and mystifying toy in which the wheel 9 may be rotated at will in one of two directions, and in which the direction of rotation may be reversed instantly without ceasing the-manual operation of the device. This is done by grasping the wheel supporting member 5 by the handle 6. The left hand is most convenient for this purpose. The rod 1 is then grasped in the right hand by means of the-handle 2, and the tapered tip 4 is projected through the beveled open- 110 ing 8 in the central part ofthe wheel supporting member.

ripheral edge of the opening 8 ('see, Figure Asthis is done, the wheel 9 will rotate 3)., in one direction and will continue to rotate at ahigh rate of speed as long as the movement of the grooved rod 9 is continued in a forward direction, contacting the upper edge of the opening 8 and in areverse direction contacting the lower peripheral edge of the opening 8; p r

Let us assumenow that it is desired withoutknowledgeof those observing the operation of the devlce, to reverse the direction of the wheel 9, an act which may appear mystifying to those who are uninitiated. To this end it is merely necessary to actuate the grooved rod 1 so that the grooved portion thereof contacts'the lower peripheral edge of the opening 8 as the rod llS moved forward through the opening, and to con-' tact the upper peripheral edge of the opening when the rod is reversed and withdrawn throughthe opening. The direction of rotation of the wheel 9 will be almost instantaneously reversed. The slight alteration of the operation of the rod 1 is not noticeable to others unless they are watching closely'the movement of the rod, and even thenit is doubtful whether the shift, when made, would be apparent.

, While I have here-described one embodimentof my invention, it should be' understood that the wheel 9may be mounted upon the outer tapered end of the rod 1- and the member 5, which heretofore has been em- .ployed as a wheel supporting member,

moved relative to the rod to cause the constant rotation of the wheel. If, however, the present embodiment of my invention is carried out, the rod 1 may be made to serve other purposes and still successfully function as a part of the toy, such as the provision of an ornamental hand portion 2 vand the use of the rod as a companion stick or cane.

Since the rotative movement of the wheel 9 depends entirely upon impulses given thereto by the movement of the pin which is mounted upon the wheel supporting member, it is essential to the successful and efiicient operation of the device that the wheel supporting member be relatively light in weight and is as free as possible to receive the vibratory motion that is imparted thereto by the movement of the grooved rod 1.

the Wheel is difiicult.

I am well aware that a vibratory movement of the rod in other devices is made use of i to actuate a wheel that is mounted directly upon the rod, but in these cases, the rod is relatively heavy and efficient operation of In my present device, I have provided a construction which permits; a" maximum movement of the wheel supporting member and therefore the device is extremely eflicient in operation, since very little of the force applied by movement of the grooved rod is expended in moving a relatively heavy body. I claim: I

1. A toy of the character described comprising a wheel supporting member having an opening transversely theretlirough, a wheel rotatably mounted on one end ofsaid a plurality oftransverse grooves on'itsouter wall arranged to be moved 'through'said opening in said supporting member. s i

2. A toy of the character described comprising a wheel supporting member having an opening transversely 'therethrough, a wheel loosely mounted for rotation'on one end of said wheel supporting member, and a rod having a plurality of transverse grooves on its outer wall arranged "to be moved through said opening in said supporting member. V

3. A toy of the character described'comprising a wheel supporting member having an opening transversely 'therethrough, a

wheel loosely mounted for rotation on one end of said wheel supporting member, and a rod having a plurality of transverse grooves on its outer wall arranged to be moved through said opening in said supporting member, said'grooved portion of said rod having its greatest diameter slightly less than the diameter of said opening in said supporting member.

4. A toy of the character described comprising a wheelsupporting member having an opening transversely therethrough, a substantially rectangular wheel rotatably mounted on one end of said wheel supporting member, and a rod having a plurality of transverse grooves on its outer wall arranged to be moved through said opening in said supporting member.

wheel supporting member, and a rodvhaving 5. A toy of the character described com- 7 thereof. V

CLEVELAND H. DAYTON. 

